If approved, the Diamond
Rock truck ban on southbound Highway 33 would be the second major
victory for critics of gravel truck traffic through the Ojai Valley.
The first was a decision last month by Ventura County planners to
require owners of the Ozena gravel mine in the same Cuyama Valley
high country to do a full environmental report on the impact of trucks
before getting a new operating permit.
Operators of Ozena have said they would route their trucks from their
northeast Ventura County mine through Santa Barbara County. But under
the proposed Santa Barbara County ban, Ozena could not increase its
number of trips into Santa Barbara County.
Yet, Ozena has proposed doubling daily trips to 134. How that issue
is resolved could be a factor in whether the Santa Barbara County
ban is permanent.
Santa Barbara County Planning Director John Baker, former interim
city manager in Ojai, said he’s forwarded a staff letter recommending
the Diamond Rock ban to the Planning Commission for a May 30 hearing.
The ban would be imposed
as a restriction in conditional use permit that would allow the new
Diamond Rock mine to operate.
Baker said his staff had reached agreement with the Troesh family,
which owns the Diamond Rock property, not to send any gravel trucks
down twisting Highway 33 to Ojai.
“It does set a tone for what’s going to occur in Ventura
County,” Baker said. “There’s been concern about
where all these trucks are going to go.”
Like Bennett, Baker said the Diamond Rock ban, along with Ventura
County allowing no more trucks from Ozena to head north, could lead
to a regional solution to the problem.
“There’s absolutely a need for a regional approach involving
Kern, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties,”
he said. “The need for aggregate isn’t going to go away,
so we need to figure out how to get it where it needs to go.”
And with gas prices skyrocketing, mine operators will always favor
the shortest route.
“But this is a positive step, regarding counties cooperating,”
Baker said.
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